The best on-ear headphones for every budget

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On-ear headphones are the awkward middle child of the audio gear world.

Neither as portable as most in-ear monitors nor as comfortable as most over-ear cans, on-ears tend to be jacks of many trades, but masters of none. They're can be compact, but they won't fit in your pocket like a pair of earbuds. They can sound good, but usually their smaller and more open design makes it harder for them to provide studio-quality recordings. Just about all of them are incapable of noise cancellation. For every point of strength a pair of on-ear headphones may have, there's usually a pair of in- or over-ears for which that quality comes more naturally.

So who, exactly, are on-ear headphones for? They're for those who want a little bit of everything. The best pairs have a blend of comfort, style, portability, and relatively high-quality sound — serving as a sort of "one size fits all" for the well-rounded music lover. They should do the job for someone who spends equal time on the train, in the office, and in the living room. In other words, they should be malleable, capable of dishing out better sound than in-ears on the go, and a less bulky fit than over-ears at home.

Thankfully, the on-ears market has become crowded with contenders that fit this bill. To find which ones are most worth buying, though, we've once again scoured the web and performed our own hands-on testing. As we did with our in-ear headphones guide, we've split our honorees into three budget tiers, so anyone can find a way to upgrade their gear.

We've also added a new rating system to the proceedings — check here to better understand the motivations and thought process behind it. (And to be clear, each device's rating is relative to the competition within its price range.) For now, though, here are our favorite on-ear headphones for every price.

FOR BUDGET BUYERS

BI Rating: 9/10

Skullcandy Grind Headphones with Mic, $42.73, available at Amazon.Amazon

Although their loud, logo-heavy design aims squarely at younger users, Skullcandy's new Grind headphones have a full, bass-forward sound that's surprisingly pleasurable for anyone shopping in this price range. It emphasizes the low-end, but never to the point where the mid-range and treble feel unbalanced or shoved too far down in the mix.

Despite being mostly made of plastic, the Grinds are also nicely comfortable, with soft pleather earpads and a sturdy headband. CNET, PCMag, TechRadar, Inner Fidelity, and others have all been just about unanimous in their approval.

BI Rating: 9/10

The Shure SRH-144s are a no-frills affair: They aren't much to look at; they only come in black, and they don't feature any added accessories or remote controls for your smartphone. They more than make up for that blandness with a sound signature that's remarkably smooth and accurate, however.

Unlike the Grind above, the focus here is on clarity and definition in the mids and highs, a trait that's fairly rare in this price range. The bass that is here is tight and sharp, but low-end enthusiasts should look to the Grind or the SRH-145m+, a sister model that also has a more closed design and iOS controls. If you aren't into hip-hop or electronica, though, these are a fantastic value.

BI Rating: 9/10

At first glance, the Monoprice Hi-Fi Lightweight On-Ear Headphones may not look like much to you. They’re a nearly featureless piece of plastic, cheap-feeling, and devoid of color. They don’t fold up, their cable can’t be removed, and they leak sound at higher volumes. They’re $15, so you don’t expect much.

Then you put them on, and all those concerns take a backseat. The Hi-Fis simply do not sound like they should be as affordable as they are — the balance and spaciousness on show is closer to pairs three or four times its price. While it doesn’t have the same thumping lows and clear highs as the best headphones in that range, it gets close enough, with tight bass and impressively smooth mids. It plays nice across genres. It’s easy to drive. It’s not the sound of luxury, but it feels like a steal.

Plus, while its build isn’t exciting, it’s not uncomfortable, and it does feature a mic and single-button remote. If you need a secondary pair for the road, or you’re just on a super tight budget, the Hi-Fis are, sonically, one of the best values in headphones today.

Pros:

Superb sound for the money

Highly affordable

Has inline mic and remote

Cons:

Bland build

Leaks sound at high volumes, doesn’t isolate a ton either

No detachable cable

FOR THE MID-RANGE

BI Rating: 8/10

AKG Y50 On-Ear Headphones, $91.01, available at Amazon.Amazon

The giant AKG logos plastered on the side of the Y50 will make your ears look like moving billboards, but, once you get over that, you'll find a pair of headphones that pack truly monstrous bass while still managing to keep higher-level sounds clear. The lows here are deep and mighty, but somehow never distorted or too overpowering for the rest of the mix. The Y50 is a fun listen, above all else, even if it's not really for audiophiles. It's aided by a lightweight build that's comfortable after a little bit of fidgeting, some excellent noise-isolation abilities, and a detachable cable with built-in mic and playback controls.

BI Rating: 9/10

The Sennheiser Urbanite are another pair of bass-focused on-ears, but their approach to the low-end is a little less aggressive than the AKGs above. The bass is certainly forceful, but it's focused more on being accurate and punchy than having a nightclub-esque boom. It allows for everything else to sound nicely balanced, with the power of the lows complimenting the mids, and, to a lesser extent, the highs, rather than overwhelming them. For a bass-centric headphone, it's warm and rich. It's another well-made headset, too, with a handsome design that's easy to adjust and offers good noise isolation.

BI Rating: 8/10

Marshall Major II, $89.95, available at Amazon.Amazon

The Marshall Major II aren’t amazing in any one area, but they don’t get much wrong, and they perform well for the money. Like the Urbanite, they're on the warmer, more bassy side, but those lows don't pummel tracks when it's unwarranted. They're strong, and they can reach down fairly deep, but they're held in check by (relatively) detailed mids and a general sense of balance. The soundstage and instrumental separation here are good, too. While the highs could use a little more clarity, and the bass a little more definition, this is a more enjoyable listen than most sub-$100 on-ears. It’s dynamic.

Build wise, the Major II look like a couple of guitar amps in headphone form. They're from Marshall, after all. We love the aesthetic, but we'd understand if you found that a bit gimmicky. Either way, despite mostly consisting of plastic, they come off as polished. They're lightweight, flexible, cushy, and snug enough to create a tight seal. Their partially coiled cable is well-made and completely detachable, too, though we would like a volume option on its inline remote.

The only big issue we ran into is that they may be too tight-fitting, especially on larger heads. Fit is relative, but we'd guess you won't want to do any marathon listening sessions with these things. We'd also be remiss if we didn't note the handful of user reviews claiming to suffer from a design defect on one of the Major II's hinges, though we didn't see any such problems ourselves in months of testing.

BI Rating: 8/10

Bose SoundTrue On-Ear Headphones, $99.95, available at Amazon.Amazon

We've highlighted them in the past, but Bose's on-ear SoundTrue earns a spot here thanks to its supreme comfort and portability. It doesn't have the liveliest or most defined sound next to some of the other entries on this list, but it's well-balanced, and generally manages to make any track you're listening to sound good.

The main hook of the SoundTrue is its fit, though; there simply isn't another pair of on-ear headphones that feels as comfortable on your head. It can also get very compact when folded up into its diminutive carrying case, and it includes an inline remote and mic as well. They were a tougher sell at their old $150 price point, but now at $100, they're an easy recommendation.

Still, if you're dead set on getting the best sound out of this price range, we were very close to putting Grado's SR80e in this spot. The Brooklyn-based manufacturer is famous for providing high-quality sonics on the cheap, and those particular headphones do indeed sound fantastic (if a bit light on bass).

The problem is they're open-backed, which causes them to leak and take in sound in large quantities. This makes them terribly inconvenient in any environment where you aren't isolated. Given that part of the appeal of on-ears is their portability, that causes them to miss the cut, but only just.

Pros:

Supremely light, portable, and comfortable

Good looking

Solid, balanced sound

Cons:

Relatively lacking in bass

Some sound leakage

FOR PREMIUM PERFORMANCE

BI Rating: 10/10

There's very little to dislike about the Beyerdynamic T51i. The German-made set has almost everything you'd want from a high-end on-ear model: They're light, compact, well built, comfortable, and driven by exceptional sound quality. They produce rich and distortion-free bass, lively highs, and a general level of fullness and detail that makes them suitable for any musical genre. Even their carrying case is nice.

Their lack of a detachable cable is annoying, but the only major negative against them is their price — if you're going to drop $300 on headphone quality, you might want to look into a naturally better-sounding pair of full-size cans instead. If you're specifically looking for the benefits of on-ears, however, this is money well spent.

BI Rating: 8/10

Master & Dynamic is quickly gaining prestige as a premium audio manufacturer, and the MH30 only furthers that distinction. Between their foamy lambskin ear pads, leather headband, woven cables, and aluminum externals, this is simply one of the most gorgeous pairs of on-ear headphones on the market today.

They're easily worth their hefty price tag if we're only judging by aesthetics, but thankfully the MH30s sound great as well. They have a consistently natural-sounding quality to them, with an expressive mid range, clear highs, and a thumping bass that's effective without assaulting your ears. The MH30s can get a little too tight after hours-long sessions, but if you want your on-ears to be as effective as a fashion statement as they are a piece of audio gear, they're a worthwhile investment.

BI Rating: 8/10

Again, the on-ear market gets flush with quality once you get into this high-end bracket; excellent pairs like the V-Moda XS (for design) and KEF M500 (for sound quality) are well worthy of being highlighted here. We're going with Bowers & Wilkins' P5 Series 2, however, for its mixture of style, audio performance, and a recent price drop from $300 to $270.

The P5 S2s share the same striking, quasi-retro design of the original P5, with puffy leather earpads that are at once luxurious and soft on the skull. It's light, and it, too, has built-in audio controls for iOS devices. (But not other OSes, which is baffling.)

Once they're on, the P5 S2s have an exceptionally balanced sound, which lets you run through all types of music without feeling like you're missing detail. It packs a surprising amount of oomph on the low-end, but it doesn't distort, and it stays rich and clear up through the mids and highs. It's a lean sound on the whole, but it's consistently accurate. It's another easy recommendation.

Pros:

Classy, distinct style

Highly comfortable

Detailed, muscular performance

Cons:

Could be more compact

Inline controls only made for iOS

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